To love her

Chapter 15

"Right so it's your Brothers for Christmas breakfast, then Cissy's for Christmas lunch, then to Andy's for a drink." Bellatrix pours herself and Minerva a glass of whiskey.
"For the fourth time, yes." Minerva sighs, sitting back into the settee.
"Just checking." Bellatrix said handing her a glass. The fire lit itself as Bellatrix sat beside Minerva.
"And all the presents are sorted?" Bellatrix asks, sipping her whiskey.
"Yes Bella, everything is sorted." Minerva rolls her eyes also taking a sip of the whiskey
"Great." Bellatrix smiles, leaning back into the settee. She closes her eyes for a moment and inhales, then exhales. She opens her eyes and they instantly fall on the woman beside her who sat up straight just staring at the glass in her hand.

Bellatrix moves her free hand and reaches to Minerva's bun snapping the elder witch out of her train of thought.
"Don't move." Bellatrix whispers as she singlehandedly began to undo Minerva's bun.
Minerva remained still, her eyes closed enjoying the feeling.
Bellatrix managed to undo the bun, the clips floated to the table as Bellatrix shook Minerva's hair loose.
Minerva began to relax back into the settee, as Bellatrix twirls strands of Minerva's long hair around her fingers. And without thinking Bellatrix brought the hair to her nose to smell the wonderful scent that is Minerva.
And that little movement did not go unnoticed by Minerva.

Bellatrix smiles happily as she ran her fingers through Minerva's hair, who by now had drunk her whiskey and drifted off to sleep, head resting slightly on Bellatrix.

All Bellatrix had to do now was lose Minerva for an hour or two so she could go back to that shop and complete her own little Christmas list. However losing this precious woman wasn't going to be that easy, she'd have to get Rolanda or Dumbledore to distract her for a while.

***

Bellatrix couldn't sleep, she tossed and she turned and she couldn't sleep. Sighing she sits up, and stares into the darkness. A thought crossed her mind.
"Might as well" Bellatrix shrugs.

She dressed ready for the day and instantly left her chambers, on her way to the place she always ends up when sleep doesn't pay her a visit.
Ever so silently she made her way through the door into the living room, then straight into the bedroom. She smiled at her peacefully sleeping friend, snoring ever so softly in her slumber.
Ever so quietly she kneeled beside Minerva's bed.
Most nights when she couldn't sleep she often found herself in Minerva's room just watching her. And she hasn't been caught yet.

Minerva's long black hair spilled all over her pillow. The light from the moon through the window highlighted the grey specks in her hair making them more obvious.
The skin of her face got exposed to Some light of the moon, from the angle it was at, the wrinkles around her eyes from laughing and squinting were more noticeable than usual.
Bellatrix had the urge to gently run her fingers over the wrinkles but didn't, not wanting to disturb her. She looked so peaceful, almost angel like. Like a goddess. Bellatrix almost chuckled. Well it was in her name after all,
Minerva was the Roman goddess of wisdom and war.

Bellatrix smiles not able to stop herself as she moves a strand of hair from her face.
"And here my goddess sleeps." Bellatrix smiles as the poem by Matthew Holloway pops into mind.

"She sleeps, her heart,  soul at peace.
she is as beautiful, as any painting by any artist
no brush has born such beauty.
silence fills the walls, and the day is calm.
my thoughts like trees, take deep roots
into the earth of my soul.
unmoveable mountains, stars and the sky, rise into an endless expanse.
I wonder on her dreams, what places she sees
the weather and colours, the faces and events
unfolding." Bellatrix whispers, as she ever so lightly caressed the woman's cheek.
"she sleeps, and I, I am moved, by her quiet beauty" she adds feeling the warmth fill her heart.

"Oh Minnie, you have no idea." Bellatrix whispers.
"You are the only thing keeping me sane at this point." Bella carefully rests her head on the bed, inches away from Minerva's.
The warmth of the woman's breath cascades down Bella's face.
And before Bellatrix knew it she was in a trance and peaceful slumber took over her.

Something tickled her face, she wiggles her nose, and brought her hand to her face.
Something was there, she could feel something soft yet messy, inches away from her face. Her eyes shot open to be met with a mass full of raven curls. The moonlight shone on the hair and the grey streak was now more evident.
Bellatrix. She was asleep.

She sat up, she noticed how the woman was kneeling by her bed with her head resting on her bed, and she must have fallen asleep. But what was she doing there in the first place?
Bellatrix began to stir, she slowly lifted her head to see Minerva already looking at her.

Her eyes widen, she'd been caught.
"What are you doing here?" Minerva whispers, her eyes squinting, not entirely awake yet.
"I couldn't sleep." Bella whispers looking up at the woman. Minerva was tired she didn't have the energy to interrogate the witch.
"Time?"
Bellatrix looks at the clock.
"Half three in the morning." Bellatrix replies.
Minerva falls back down, her head on the pillow, the woman sighs.
"Get in the bed." Minerva closes her eyes. Bellatrix was about to say something but Minerva soon put a stop to that.
"Get yer arse in the bed." Minerva repeats. Bellatrix grabbed one of Minerva's nighty's, slipped out of her dress and put the white fabric on.
"God Yer a pain in the arse." Minerva mumbles
As she rubs her temples.

"But You love me." Bellatrix smiles, climbing into bed.
"Unfortunately." Minerva sighs, expecting Bellatrix to hold her like she usually does, but nothing happened,
Minerva opens her eyes and turns to look at the woman.
"What are you doing?"
"What?" Bellatrix asks acting slightly confused.
"What do you mean, what?!" Minerva snaps really not in the mood.
Bellatrix furrows her brows, Minerva huffs as she turns her back to the woman.
Bellatrix smiles knowing exactly what Minerva wanted.

Bellatrix moves closer and wraps her arms around Minerva pulling her closer.
"Better." Minerva whispers happily, a smile on her face. Bellatrix chuckles, nudging her head into the back of Minerva's neck.
"Stop it." Minerva nudges the witch, though a smile covered her lips.
"Turn around." Bellatrix whispers.
Minerva huffs once again as she turns around in the woman's arms to face her. Their eyes meet, Bellatrix smiles, though Minerva didn't look too impressed, she was tired.
"I'm going to sleep now." Minerva yawns as she closes her eyes.
"You do that love." Bellatrix whispers, watching as the woman in her arms was taken by sleep once more.
And soon Bellatrix herself drifted off to sleep.